3 Southwest Side Bus Routes Get Reprieve

September 09, 1992|By Gary Washburn, Transportation writer.

Bowing to pressure from local residents, the Chicago Transit Authority will retain three Southwest Side bus routes when the new Midway rapid-transit line opens next spring, but it will not alter plans to eliminate five express routes, officials said Tuesday.

Meanwhile, public hearings will be held sometime this fall as a prelude to a major service realignment that will see the CTA`s Dan Ryan rail line connected to the Howard line and the Lake Street line joined to the Englewood- Jackson Park route.

The connection of the Ryan and Howard, both high ridership lines, and the Lake and Englewood-Jackson Park, both with moderate ridership totals, is designed to produce economies by tailoring service to passenger loads.

Hearings are required because of what technically are service reductions, officials said.

When the realignment goes into effect on Dec. 13, the number of cars per train will be reduced on the Lake-Englewood-Jackson Park route from eight to six during rush hours. In addition, intervals between trains will be stretched from a range of 5 to 6 minutes currently to a range of 6 to 7 1/2 minutes.

With the opening of the new rail line to Midway Airport next spring, the CTA had planned to split the No. 62 Archer bus route into two segments; end the No. 54B South Cicero route at Midway Airport, allowing suburban Pace buses to pick up the remainder of its run to Ford City; and end the No. 110 Marquette route at the airport, shortening its run.

Community opposition to the changes has persuaded the CTA to retain the current routing, said Harry Hirsch, the agency`s service planning chief. The increased operating cost will be neligible, he said.

Despite some community opposition, however, the transit authority still plans to eliminate express bus routes that essentially parallel the service that will be offered on the Midway line. They are the Nos. 61, 99, 99M, 162 and 164.

Some riders who now can board express buses on corners near their homes and ride directly downtown without transferring want to save those routes, Hirsch said. But the CTA cannot afford to offer duplicative service, he asserted.